There is new information about the combat tests of a representative of the new generation of weapons - the XM25 grenade launcher. American soldiers who had a chance to try the new XM25 say that in addition to the ability to destroy the enemy behind various shelters, the new product has an effective firing range that is twice that of the AK-47 assault rifle, which is popular with Afghan militants. And at the same time, the new grenade launcher differs from other grenade launchers, artillery and mortars in that it causes significantly less collateral damage.
In a little over a year in Afghanistan, the XM25 has been used more than two hundred times. According to Lieutenant Colonel Sean Lucas, responsible for combat testing of the new development, almost all of the battles ended quickly, and the XM25 successfully demonstrated its unique properties. The program was recognized by the military leadership as successful, and so much so that another 36 units of 36 XM25 were ordered, although the initial plans assumed an experimental batch of 5 pieces.
Several European countries have already shown interest in the new grenade launcher. Similar technologies are being developed, for example, by Germany, but the Germans are planning to use 40-mm grenades, while the American version fires 25-mm. The larger enclosure allows electronic components to be integrated at a lower cost. Already, the ATK company, which developed the XM25, plans to fill shells of larger calibers with its "smart" fuses.
The XM 25 is equipped with an electronic sight, combined with a programmer, which introduces the distance to the target into the grenade. Inside the grenade there is a counter of the revolutions of the projectile around its axis, which in this way determines the moment of activation of the fuse. This system allows you to detonate in a window opening, above a trench or a tank hatch, wherever it is required to hit a target protected from conventional small arms fire.
Naturally, such a clever filling made the XM25 quite expensive, the price per piece is 35 thousand dollars, and even with mass production, the grenades will cost $ 25 per piece. With mass production, the price of a weapon is unlikely to fall, two-thirds of the price is a “smart” thermal imaging sight. However, if we compare it with aviation ammunition and anti-tank missiles used to destroy protected targets, which cost several tens of thousands of dollars, then quick firing using grenades at $ 25 will in any case be cheaper.
